Britain’s best-loved cake revealed

If the surge in sales of plain flour is anything to go by, many of us have been spending our time during the coronavirus lockdown baking.

In fact, a nationwide poll revealed that the average household has baked six cakes in lockdown and if a recent survey is anything to go by, it seems we’re all cake obsessed.

Britain’s best-loved cake has been crowned by the nation as the chocolate cake, beating out British classics like the lemon drizzle cake and Victoria sponge.

Many people have taken up the quintessentially British pastime of enjoying a cup of tea and a piece of homemade cake in the afternoons during lockdown.

The survey of 1,500 people by Betty Crocker found that almost one in five people believe that baking cakes is helping the nation manage the stress of the pandemic.

We’ll eat cake to that.

Some of the cakes that made it onto the top 20 list might surprise people, with the likes of carrot cake, orange cake and coffee and walnut cake – which typically divide opinions – making the list.

Carrot cake came in 5th, beating out classics like the Swiss roll, Madeira cake and French fancies.

The classic fruit cake, which has been very popular in years gone by but has dropped in popularity in recent years, still managed a respectable 7th place.

The fruit cake used to be a staple option for people up and down the country. It was also the classic wedding cake, which has been replaced by chocolate and Victoria sponge varieties in recent years.

Another retro cake – which is clearly making a comeback – is the humble Blackforest gateau.

Once an essential dessert after a homemade Sunday roast, the gateau has fallen out of favour lately. In 8th place, though, it’s clawing its way back into the hearts of British people.

It’s undeniable that baking has become a form of therapy for many during lockdown. Measuring ingredients, thinking about the end result and putting all the pieces together certainly helps us to take our minds off of other things.

So much so, in fact, that two thirds of people who took part in the survey described the much-loved pastime as the “ultimate form of therapy”.

Many people are finding themselves struggling to think of new and inventive activities to do with their children. That’s where baking comes in.

Half of British people have spent more time baking with their families during lockdown. It’s not just a good way to learn, it also comes with a delicious end result.

The big question is, though, has all this baking helped us improve our skills in the kitchen? 13% of us believe it has.

A quarter of British have put their skills to good use, too, by baking for somebody who is elderly or vulnerable during this time.

Lionel Morgado from Betty Crocker commented, “It’s clear that people are taking cheer and solace at the moment from the classic British cake flavours and nothing says comfort and indulgence more than a rich chocolate cake.

“These results show that with families spending so much time together in the house at the moment, parents are turning to baking as a way to keep the kids happy and entertained.”